I read the profile. This guy is only 17? Man, won't see him for awhile, if he even pans out at all. But correct me if I'm wrong, having a fast ball in the 90s at 17 (when the year before it was in the 87-89 range) is impressive, no?

I'm cautiously hopeful, I guess? Good to see that the Sox are actually, you know, trying to rebuild the system.

I read the profile. This guy is only 17? Man, won't see him for awhile, if he even pans out at all. But correct me if I'm wrong, having a fast ball in the 90s at 17 (when the year before it was in the 87-89 range) is impressive, no?

I'm cautiously hopeful, I guess? Good to see that the Sox are actually, you know, trying to rebuild the system.

Nothing wrong with young prospects. In fact they are quite desirable. They are allowed more development time within the organization, where as college level players are more so closer to finished products. The system desperately needs depth. Decent prospects at varying levels is the goal.

But yeah, as you said, organizational depth is a major need, and it looks like it's being addressed. And then there's the draft. When is that supposed to happen? Last I remember, the White Sox are picking 13th in the first round? Any other picks, or a site that can tell me the draft order?

But yeah, as you said, organizational depth is a major need, and it looks like it's being addressed. And then there's the draft. When is that supposed to happen? Last I remember, the White Sox are picking 13th in the first round? Any other picks, or a site that can tell me the draft order?

EDIT: Nevermind, found it.

The majority of the international signings are younger players. The ones that are close to major league ready are much more rare. Players like Leonys Martin, Cespdes, Chapman, and Darvish. Those are hot commodities and generally are much more expensive.

Yep, Sox picking at 13. They also have a supplemental pick from offering MB arbitration and him declining it. Since there are still some free agents that will garner compensation, that pick will likely fall a bit. Believe it's sitting at 47th at the moment.

Nothing wrong with young prospects. In fact they are quite desirable. They are allowed more development time within the organization, where as college level players are more so closer to finished products. The system desperately needs depth. Decent prospects at varying levels is the goal.

Absolutely, and the Sox's presence in Latin America, outside of Cuba, has been absymal recently. One of the key reasons our farm system is in such disarray. Many of the foreign born, Latin American stars in baseball today originally signed as free agents in their teens and developed.

Absolutely, and the Sox's presence in Latin America, outside of Cuba, has been absymal recently. One of the key reasons our farm system is in such disarray. Many of the foreign born, Latin American stars in baseball today originally signed as free agents in their teens and developed.

Is this lack of presence in Latin America a direct result of the Wilder scandal?

__________________It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. - A. Bartlett Giamatti

Is this lack of presence in Latin America a direct result of the Wilder scandal?

That's not helped anything, but the Sox have not seemed to have a strong Latin American presence for a while. For one, they don't spend much money on prospects and two, a lot of teams seem to have their own private academies for young baseball players that act as scouting organizations throughout baseball-crazy countries like the Domincan and Venezuela; I don't know of the Sox having one themselves.

That's not helped anything, but the Sox have not seemed to have a strong Latin American presence for a while. For one, they don't spend much money on prospects and two, a lot of teams seem to have their own private academies for young baseball players that act as scouting organizations throughout baseball-crazy countries like the Domincan and Venezuela; I don't know of the Sox having one themselves.

When I was in the DR on business for a week about three years ago, I went to a DR Winter League game. I met scouts from three different teams, but no Sox scouts. When browsing shops at the airport, I saw paraphernalia for just about every MLB... except the Sox. I even saw KC and Pittsburgh stuff. For whatever reason, the Sox just don't have a presence there at all.

__________________"I have the ultimate respect for White Sox fans. They were as miserable as the Cubs and Red Sox fans ever were but always had the good decency to keep it to themselves. And when they finally won the World Series, they celebrated without annoying every other fan in the country." Jim Caple, ESPN (January 12, 2011)

"We have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the (bleeding) obvious is the first duty of intelligent men." — George Orwell

When I was in the DR on business for a week about three years ago, I went to a DR Winter League game. I met scouts from three different teams, but no Sox scouts. When browsing shops at the airport, I saw paraphernalia for just about every MLB... except the Sox. I even saw KC and Pittsburgh stuff. For whatever reason, the Sox just don't have a presence there at all.

The Sox are relatively well known in Venezuela, Cuba, and Mexico, I believe, but I struggle to think of one player of Dominican descent that the Sox signed, developed, and brought up. Literally can't think of one. Bad since the DR is one baseball's best talent pipelines.

Is this lack of presence in Latin America a direct result of the Wilder scandal?

To a large extent yes. There are still trust issues to overcome. Supposedly many players want nothing to do with the White Sox because of the stigma and what happened with Wilder. Reestablishing credibility is an ongoing process. The situation supposedly has improved, but who knows how much.